The Death of Dazed

Graphics by Ailani Wong

Dazed, also known as Redgate, announced their house party’s shutdown about eight weeks ago. 

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce that we will no longer be able to host shows at our house,” a tenant of the “Dazed” house wrote in an Instagram story. “...[Our] landlord and his insurance company have, unfortunately, made it very clear that parties in the basement are no longer permitted.”

Dazed was a house party on Euclid Ave that was unique in its live music show and party combination for the Syracuse University and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry communities. The shows featured various bands, most of which consisted of SU and ESF students.

Mostly queer and alternative students gathered every Friday night to listen to music, dance, and chat together. That atmosphere at Dazed was unlike most of the house parties on campus. The bands played in the basement in front of a crowd of students singing and dancing, but partygoers could gather upstairs and on the porch with room to mingle and walk around. The party allowed for the crowded, sweaty dancing atmosphere, as well as the opportunity to talk with peers. SU is a school that heavily embraces its athletic and Greek life cultures, which aren’t targeted towards the queer and alternative communities. 

In losing the weekly party-scene safety net for those communities, queer and alternative students are wondering where they can find another space with like-minded peers. They’re searching for a space that allows them to celebrate alternative music and mingle with peers who relate in style, music taste and politics. Since Dazed’s closing, two house parties have attracted similar crowds, Shredfield on Redfield Place and The Klondyke Bar. Neither are live music venues like Dazed, but both are house parties, and The Klondyke Bar is specifically made for the queer female community at SU and ESF. Shredfield allows for students to walk around and mingle, gather around a bonfire and take music requests from guests. Shredfield also attracts a wide variety of students, from girls in jeans and crop tops to students fully decked out in goth makeup and clothing.